Only less than 10% (that is what I have heard) of MCD restaurants is owned by the company. The rest is privately owned.
its not just the hoi polloi. I know a few very rich folks who love to order food from MCD. In fact, they have special menu. http://secretmenus.com/mcdonalds/secret-menu/ LOL this thread has a ridiculous premise. surf
It's very difficult to get most Americans to learn anything at all about nutrition, medicine, natural cures, health, etc... They follow their doctors, the doctors usually destroy them and they continue to follow the doctors. They are happy with that as long as somebody else pays for their meds...
It may not be quite so simple. Since the introduction of direct-to-consumer drug advertising over-the-air in the early 80s, a certain type of consumer has been eager to buy what is advertised. Before then, it was rare to find a consumer who would visit their doctors for the sole purpose of getting a prescription for a specific drug. Now it's become commonplace.
Saying MCD won't exist in 5 years is like saying Pizza Hut or Coca Cola won't be around in 5 years. Generally speaking, branded consumer food companies are very stable and won't disappear like technology companies from some type of disruptive technology.
Great secret menu. Is that an autocorrect issue - should it be spelled the McCrap? I remember this co-incidence - http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2005-01-16-bell-obit_x.htm
I don't believe your comparison makes sense. Pizza Hut and Coca Cola have differenciated themselves in the market (I believe and I am not following them though) but MCD after being a successful cheap restaurant which was the favorite of adults and kids, now is out of favor and is all over the place. Teens like to go to Starbucks and have a drink than go to MCD and have a fries. It has lost its luster. Maybe your info is not up to date. Check out how busy Chipotle restaurants are and compare it with MCDs'. Now MCD wants to correct itself and is giving free food for those who have already purchased food from Taco bell. This is an indirect ad to Taco Bell. MCD is fighting with Starbucks in coffee, with Italian Pizza stores in food instead of correcting itself. The only group that I believe MCD might have appeal is older generation who had good memory with MCD when they were kids and price and quality might not matter to them. No matter how big a company you are, if you don't do it right, you die and disappear.
1% drop and its Armageddon - with high chance of going away in 5 years!!! Hope you don't bet in the market this way - you are far more likely to be out of business yourself